Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) arrives in Normal, Minnesota, to serve as interim sheriff after the sudden death of the previous sheriff. At first glance, Normal has all the trappings of a wholesome, small American town with a close-knit community that is thriving while its neighbours have faded away. It's a welcome assignment for Ulysses, who is happy to spend eight weeks stamping paperwork until he, staying true to his name, moves on to the next place. He's in desperate need of peace because he carries baggage - an ongoing divorce compounded by the guilt of once disbelieving and dismissing a woman's complaint of sexual assault.

Though the mayor (Henry Winkler), the two deputy officers (Ryan Allen and Bill MacLellan) and a bartender (Lena Headey) warmly embrace him, Ulysses senses that things are not so normal in the town. A haberdashery shop has a police scanner, a diner has several loaded guns hung on the walls for decoration, and a humble hardware store has a closet secured with several locks.